document.write( "Question 146616: If each side of a square is lengthened by 4m, the area becomes 49m^2.Find the length of a side of the original square \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #107062 by Fombitz(32388) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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Let's call the original length, S.
\n" ); document.write( " $\"%28S%2B4%29%5E2=49\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"S%5E2%2B8S%2B16=49\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"S%5E2%2B8S-33=0\"$
\n" ); document.write( "You can factor that into,
\n" ); document.write( " $\"%28S%2B11%29%28S-3%29=0\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Since a negative length would not make sense, we will only use the positive result.
\n" ); document.write( " $\"S-3=0\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"S=3\"$
\n" ); document.write( "The length of the original side was 3 m. \n" ); document.write( "

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